Blinding Love
by nim draug
Summary: Love can make you blind of what's really going on seperating Aragorn and Legolas and putting Legolas in danger.
1. Chapter 1

"Gentlemen, you all know why we are here: to find a way of preventing next month's marriage between the King and Queen from taking place. Has anyone got any ideas? Hérion's piercing eyes searched the room for a raised hand.

"You have nothing?" he fumed, "Our friend has been living with us Rivendell elves for all of her immortal life and you haven't thought of a way to save her from a man who wants her to be **his** only so she can die alongside him! You have nothing!"

Beleg stood, "Why can't we just kill Aragorn – you know – shoot him from a distance? Nobody would know that we did it," Beleg's comment didn't impress Hérion, "she would die of grief if we did that. We need to get her to stop loving him... or get her to love someone else," he smiled, "tell me... who is very close to Arwen who isn't a family member or a mortal?"

Everyone in the room understood, now grinning evil grins of their own. Hérion confirmed their thought, "Legolas Greenleaf."

…

"Agree to it!" Hérion roared, sending another punch to Legolas' face. Two elves held his arms whilst Hérion repeatedly bruised his face and torso.

"I said agree! For her sake!"

"No!" the Prince croaked before getting kicked in the stomach. The two elves let him go.

As soon as he hit the floor, they started kicking him, tormenting him – but he didn't give in.

Hérion was furious: this was never going to work, "finish him off" he ordered the other two. Storming out of the room, he muttered under his breath, "I'll end this myself."

…

"Hérion," Arwen greeted, "I've been told you require me and my love's time?"

"Yes my Lady," he grinned again , "don't worry, this shouldn't take long..."

…

"HE'S WHAT!" the king yelled.

"He's in love with your wife my Lord. Surely now you understand why I have suggested you postpone the wedding until this – small hiccup – is overcome.

The King nodded and let the elf leave. This news seemed to distress his wife. How could Legolas be so selfish? Why ruin everything when he knows how much Arwen means to him?

He kissed his wife before leaving the room.

_I'm gonna kill him!_

…

The fellowship and their many friends were eating their afternoon tea – much to the hobbits' delight.

But they were all alarmed to see the usually graceful Prince stumble into the room: his tunic torn in several places revealing the dozens of bruises that had invaded his skin.

Throwing his salted pork on his plate, the dwarf rose from his chair, already fuming at the sight, "Who did it Lad? I'll kill 'em!" he threatened, gently guiding his friend to a chair.

Before the Prince could sit down, a very red Aragorn grabbed the Prince's collar and shoved him into the stone wall – not caring about his injuries, "What in Valar's name are you playing at? I've finally got what I have desired for so long and you wish to take it from me! Why can't you just be happy for me for once? You know what happened last time and I'm guessing you think that I'm gonna do it again so you can have Arwen to yourself."

"Aragorn" he was now hissing in pain, "whatever Hérion said to you is a lie – I swear."

"You're lying! You've done it before and you'll do it again."

"You know why I had to do it last time and as soon as I knew everything I ended it", Aragorn stopped for a second: none of this made sense. Someone was trying to ruin his wedding and his best friend was the strongest suspect. Legolas had been using him all this time so he could get to Arwen and take her from him again.

Feeling betrayed and humiliated, Aragorn punched the Prince in the face sending the back of Legolas' head into the stone wall. The King walked away as the Prince crumbled to the floor.

…

"Can you hear me Lad? Lad?" Gimli tapped his friends face again when he saw those blue eyes flutter. The dwarf and the rest of the group were furious at Aragorn's behaviour, even Arwen had come in to check on Legolas after she had found out what her husband had done.

"Gimli? You're not gonna hit me are you?" Legolas whimpered covering his face protectively.

"No Lad," he glanced at Arwen, "I'm not like that brute. None of us are going to hurt you. Now, would you like to explain why such a noble King would believe such a ridiculous lie about you loving Arwen?"

Legolas kept his hands in front of his face, "because... because me and Arwen used to be married."


	2. Chapter 2

"You?" Gimli stuttered,staring at Arwen, "and her? How? Why?"

Legolas sighed, "Before the fellowship was formed, Lord Elrond was looking for a suitable husband for his daughter: she had caught more than a couple of men's eyes and he was greatly concerned for her. As I have known her for my whole life – Lord Elrond thought that I was the one for her."

Sam came into the room with a bowl of water, followed by Merry and Pippin who carried some cloths and bandages. They helped the Prince lose his tunic and set to work in making him feel better.

Meanwhile, Gimli was still trying to understand all of this, "Arwen loved Aragorn, even if you wanted to marry her, which I'm guessing you didn't – you can't force someone to marry against their will – it's against the elven laws isn't it?"

Arwen answered this one, "I was willing," everyone froze, dumbstruck by this, but she carried on all the same, "Thranduil had spoken with me, saying that many of his people were dying on patrol because they aren't enough soldiers out there and that if I married Legolas, Mirkwood and Rivendell could form an alliance and help stop the evil overtaking their lands... So I agreed to marry Legolas, even though I loved Aragorn."

Pippin gently dabbed at the bruise on Legolas' forehead, "What about you Legolas? Did you love Arwen?"

"No," he began, "Like Arwen, I too was spoken to about this. Lord Elrond had told me to meet him in his office – alone. He said he had a horrifying vision of what would happen if I didn't marry Arwen. He told me that if I didn't do this – Arwen would die. I didn't know why she would die, all I knew was what I could do save her so I did what I thought was necessary."

Arwen's eyes were filled with unshed tears – it was shocking to know how cruel people could be to save someone they loved. Legolas closed his eyes, "I didn't know of Aragorn's love for Arwen then so when he found out, I nearly lost a good friend."

Gimli tried not to frown, "Well that's unreasonable – if Aragorn had chosen to keep his love a secret, why should he be mad at you for taking something you didn't know was his?"

"He wasn't mad at me – he – he tried to kill himself," Arwen gasped and Legolas quickly regretted his words: he hadn't told her that yet. He motioned for her to come and sit with him, "that's how I learned of his love for you..."

_Legolas slowly walked to his friends room, he had just agreed to marry Arwen. How was he going to get used to this new lifestyle? Was he going to live in Rivendell now or is Arwen going to move to Mirkwood? Oh , and how will he be able to kiss her – she was almost his sister, a mother to him as her was growing up. Aragorn would help him, he always had answers to this sort of thing._

_When he got to the door, he found it was locked m- but he was certain he could hear someone inside the room... someone crying._

_He peered through the keyhole and saw his best friend crying at his desk as he played with the bottle in his hands. There was only one potion he knew that was buttercup yellow and that was a potion that slowed the heart – a potion that was fatal if you took an overdose._

_When he saw Aragorn pouring the whole bottle into a cup, he started trying to burst the door open, "Aragorn, open the door! Don't do this!"he cried as the door fell open. Aragorn put some of the potion in his mouth but couldn't seem to swallow it in front of his friend. Legolas took advantage of this and took the cup from him. Holding the cup under his friend's chin he sobbed, "Spit it out Estel. Please spit it out please – I'll do anything, anything. Please!"_

_The broken man spat out the poison and the two brothers fell to the floor, crying in each others arms..._

"He told me he was too heartbroken to go on. He thought Arwen had just left him without telling him why – he didn't know of the burden that my father had placed on her shoulders. I understood then that Arwen would die because she loved him so much that she would give up her immortality for him. When I saw this, I refused to marry Arwen and convinced Arwen that the darkness in Mirkwood would only cut down the numbers of their people too."

At first there was only silence. The fellowship had been together for so long and yet there was so much that they didn't know about each other. They could partially understand Aragorn's behaviour: the King knew that Arwen loved him and not Legolas so he was going to put up a fight this time. After nearly losing her once, he would be more than determined not to lose her again.

Arwen was still sat by Legolas' side, "Who did this to you my friend?"

"Hérion and his friends, they love you Arwen and they haven't got used to the fact that in order to make you happy, they'll have to lose you. They knew killing Aragorn would only kill you so they wanted me to try and marry you because apparently, I am the second closest man to you."

Her people did this to him – her friends. There was that feeling again – people were so cruel when protecting the ones they love... and Aragorn was doing the same thing.

The Queen stood up, determined to set things right.

"Where are you going?" Legolas asked.

"To talk to my husband."

...

A group of the White city guards were sat by the White tree shocked still after seeing their furious and upset King storm past them not even noticing that they were there. He had been a good King to them, not only getting the city built back to it's normal self but he was very social to his workers unlike their previous ruler Denethor.

They knew that he wasn't easily upset – he was a strong man, but a nice man that didn't deserve to be so badly treated . Whoever did this to him was going to pay dearly for what they did.

The group started working through some suggestions of what was wrong with their beloved King when they were interrupted by Hérion, "I know what's wrong with your King," they all listened carefully, "it turns out that Legolas Greenleaf is quite a smooth talker and has managed to bag the Queen Arwen herself. What your King needs is a nice new **human **woman to cheer him up so if you know anyone, just send them on up to his room ok?"the elf hid his smile as the almost skipped away.

What he didn't know was that the men weren't going to find their King a new woman. Humans don't just sleep around with anyone – they did have life long lasting relationships too like the elves. They were going to get the King his Queen back – which meant cutting Legolas out of the picture.


	3. Chapter 3

Aragorn had been standing on his balcony, motionless, since his encounter with Legolas. Now that his anger had filtered from his body, he realised nothing made sense: Legolas could have had Arwen so long ago, why would he wait until now? How did Hérion find out that Legolas was falling in love with Arwen? If anything, he would have told Gimli first.

The King sighed – his mind felt dry and tired and almost felt separate from his body as he stumbled onto his bed. He had learned that thinking was too hard and pointless by this point. Maybe resting would help clear his mind. Maybe, just maybe.

...

Gimli had taken Legolas out to a few of the pubs in the area to ease the elf's mind and the Prince had to admit that it had worked to a certain extent: his once shivering body felt warm and the physical pain he had was completely gone – for now - he knew it would come back tomorrow along with a pounding headache and another ear lashing from Aragorn but he wanted to just forget about it all.

On the walk back through the quiet streets, Gimli could see that he had definitely accomplished his goal: Legolas slowly glided across the cobbles, taking in the fresh air and gazing at the shining stars.

Before he was taken to the ground by a once well hidden stranger, who was soon joined by several others.

...

The King was awoken by Arwen whose eyes were barely holding back her unshed tears: to Aragorn, fighting for her was fighting for his life and she never thought anyone could love her so strongly.

She rested her head on his chest and sighed, "I love you."

"I love you too."

She took his hand in hers, "And as a lover... you'd trust me to tell you everything right?"

"Yes"

"And in return, you'd do the same?"

His grey eyes finally moved from the ceiling to look down on her, "You want to know why I hit my brother?"

"I know why you hit him. I understand why you would do that in the heat of a moment without thinking and to be honest, I'm glad you went down that path than the one you've already walked down."

On seeing his eyes widen, she hugged him tighter, "It's ok my love..." her voice broke, "Just promise me you won't ever do that again ok?"

Arwen still loved him – the sight of her sobbing into his chest revealed that. She loved him – not Legolas, him and if the woodland Prince did love her (which he was starting to doubt) there would be nothing he could do to tear them apart. They were soul mates, bound by unbreakable love.

A gentle kiss was planted on her forehead, "I won't my love. I have too much to live for."

They lay there in each other's arms for a while before she spoke again, "I asked Faramir to arrest Hérion on my way here" the lack of response showed how Aragorn wasn't surprised, "He was blinded by love... you both were but if we stop things from going any further, we can set things right again," she cupped his chin in her hand, "Legolas still loves you. He wants you back and if I'm not mistaken, you want him back too."

There was still hope – so he would embrace it, "Join Faramir in interrogating Hérion my love, I'll find my brother."

...

If he had his axe this would be so much easier. The ale flowing through his veins didn't help either as well as already having a fallen comrade: hitting the same spot on the Prince's head was all it took to send him into oblivion.

Gimli had got rid of two of them, but these were warriors of Gondor. They are like wolves, always in packs and they were armed.

It was only a matter of time before Gimli would lose, he knew it and if he was alone, he would have given up straight away. But Legolas was here and he wouldn't go down without a fight if it meant protecting his closest friend.

That thought remained the same even when they drew their swords

"Stand down you traitors!" the dwarf roared, standing his ground as they slowly moved towards him, pointing the tips of their swords towards their last obstacle.

"Drop your weapons immediately!"

It was their King. They thought he would be proud but by the look on his face he was far from it.

The clang of several swords hitting the ground rang in the air as they surrendered.


	4. Chapter 4

"My Lady, I insist on accompanying you into the dungeons: they aren't filled with the nicest of people," Faramir had offered his arm to the Queen before she could reply but she took it and replied, "My husband suggested likewise my friend. Besides, I'd prefer to have someone at my side during this: punishing a close friend isn't something I have ever done before."

The Captain turned to gaze into her eyes and smiled, "I will that someone. Don't fret my Lady, if he really is your friend he'll understand after our talk."

...

The King of Gondor momentarily froze when being blocked by a not too pleased dwarf from going into Legolas' bedroom, "I assume you've come to heal the lad and not beat him to a pulp like your guards and your past self?"

"Yes Gimli, I've come to help him and if you wish to you can observe my every move you can but don't stop me from trying to make amends."

A part of Aragorn feared that he had only angered the bull but after a reluctant grunt, the dwarf stepped aside, "I'll be watching you – don't think you can stay here if you can lose your temper again."

Aragorn couldn't help cringing inside _I guess I have more than just Legolas to apologise to._

...

The minute the cell was opened, Hérion lunged for the Queen. Faramir intercepted and drew his sword but Hérion didn't heed the threat: he just wanted to talk to his friend, "Arwen, I swear – I did it all for you – I swear!"

One of the most highly honoured warriors had now been reduced to tears and occasional hiccups. Love is such a confusing thing: in providing more love to another you must take it from someone else. That was the truth and no matter how much Arwen hated it, she had to accept that fact, "Hérion... My friend I know you only had good intentions in mind and I must Thank you for you love and devotion."

She nodded to Faramir and he stood down so she could be closer to him. An long embrace was shared first in which she could feel him shudder, "The punishment for trying to harm a Prince is execution is it not?"

"Yes – but we shall not go down that path: Legolas would die of guilt if that happened... He is a good man."

"That's why I chose him for you mellon nin. I thought you'd be happy together – for eternity."

The now drying tears started to sting Hérion's face but he heeded it Queen rested her head on his shoulder, "A sweet thought. Legolas will make a fine husband. But I was the closest thing to a mother that he had when he was growing up. The strong bond we share is as the love of a mother and child or a brother and sister. To marry Legolas would be to push him far over the line of comfort. I could not do that to him. I'm so sorry that my love wound the hearts of others, but in time you will all heal and hopefully knowing that I will be happy with my heart for eternity will ease the pain somewhat."

Now his head was on her shoulder and they remained in that embrace for a moment, knowing that this time shared together would be their last.

...

Fuzzy murmurs where all he could hear. How he came to end up in such a state he'd never know but it mattered not.

Was that Aragorn? Probably – throughout their lives they have always been either bed bound or by the bed side of each other. Yes, it was probably Aragorn.

"M...ellon?"

"I'm here Las."

"Ara – Estel... um," what was going on? Oh how his head pounded. He just wanted to sleep, yes, he would sleep for a while and Aragorn would explain everything to him later.

"Mellon nin, stay awake for a moment."

"Wa - um – sleep. Wanna sleep."

"I know Las, just please, talk to me."

"Later... I just - "

"Want to sleep," he felt a hand caress his face, "ok."

The disappointment was evident in his voice, as was the badly hidden pain. He felt like he'd just took a bone off a puppy and so he forced his eyes open and places a shaky hand on the blurred face before him, "No. I'll stay awake. For you I will. I'm sorry, I'm so...no"

"Yes Legolas, give into exhaustion. I know you're gonna be alright. We'll talk when you wake up. I'll be here when you wake up."

"No, no I can wait, for you I will. For you..."

He felt like he was falling into a black hole beneath him . He had no wings – and so he could only fall into darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

The awkward silence that soon followed was unbearable for the King. Being under the constant gaze of one of his closest friends rendered him speechless.

Actually, it was more of a glare than a gaze, from dark, scary eyes. Why oh why did he anger a dwarf of all creatures?

Surprisingly, it was Gimli who broke the silence, "So," he grunted, "What do you plan on doing now?"

"Wait until he wakes up. That's all I can do?" he replied, thinking the answer would suffice.

It didn't, "Do you want to try again?"

"I'm sorry"

"You heard me," was all he said before leaving Legolas' bedside to wet a cloth in a basin by the door. The splashing of water was all that could be heard, which bothered the King: he needed to keep the conversation going if he wanted to get the chance to apologise properly.

A sigh was heard from across the room which was soon accompanied by a sad gaze directed at the King in addition to a disappointed tone, "I know why you did it Lad."

"You do?"

"Aye," he kept his voice low, "It's because you're stupid."

Another horrible pause, Estel couldn't argue with what had been said, so he just let his friend continue.

"I know you love her Lad but you believed somebody else over him. Someone who you've told me used to look down on you growing up. That person over a brother who thought the world of you as an unhygienic, badly groomed ranger."

That hurt him, but still Aragorn only accepted it, "I know Gimli and looking back I know I feel like a fool for not seeing things so clearly. I guess I knew it wasn't true but I didn't want to take the risk. Arwen just means too much to me."

"And what does he mean to you? Aragorn, Legolas knows how much you love her, how far you'd fall without her. Even if he did love her, which is highly unlikely, he would leave his love unrequited for the rest of his life to keep you whole."

It was true. It was all too true. The reason Legolas lay beaten in his bed proved just how selfless he was. And yet, everyone thought him a promiscuous dirty man who steals from others. The thought horrified him.

Taking another look at his broken friend he spoke, "Ask me again."

"What do you plan on doing now?"

"Letting everyone know of the true man Legolas is. I will apologise to Legolas after that," he glanced at the dwarf, "However, before I do that, I must ask for you forgiveness my friend – if I cans still call you that?"

Gimli smiled as he placed the cloth on the Elven Prince's head and took his hand, "Aye Lad, you can. I'll watch the elf."

One loose end had been tied and feeling a weight lift from his shoulders, the King set out on his next mission.

…

"My Lord! I wasn't expecting you so soon," Faramir remarked, stunned. Aragorn motioned for the Captain to follow him, his pace never slowing, "I wasn't expecting to leave Las' side so soon either, but as King I need to deal with my people too and I hope in doing so I will also be caring for my friend."

"I will escort you to their cell my Lord. I hope you don't mind that I didn't have them separated."

"Not at all, in fact, you saved me a job, my friend," they continued down the hall towards the dungeons.

…

Not long after Aragorn's departure, Gimli heard the door open once again, "What did you do, give 'em a slap on the wrist, I – YOU!"

Hérion didn't have a chance. After charging at full speed Gimli's head collided with his stomach, pushing him into the wall behind him and down to the ground. Stunned, the elf wasn't prepared for the wave of punches, mostly to the face. He tried to roll over, but the dwarf was sat on his hips and despite their size, dwarves had quite a weight to them.

He heard voices crying in alarm. One was Arwen's. The fists were pulled back for a moment only to escape a moment later and once again plummet onto pale skin.

It was only when another voice entered the equation that Gimli stopped. He braved a peak and sat slumped against the dwarf was the man he'd had beaten to a pulp. A man that had done nothing wrong to him, in fact he was helping him even after being treated so.

The once angry dwarf was so quickly silenced, suddenly full of so much affection instead of rage. He'd never seen any of the Dwarven kind act so tender.

His violent tone was now gentle, "Come on now, you silly elf, let's get you back into bed."

Hérion remained were he was as they did so, waving away Arwen's questions of his welfare and just watching. Arwen soon joined them, arguing with Gimli in hushed tones. At times she tried to include Legolas into the conversation, knowing he'd take her side but, knowing that too, Gimli, kept in between the two of them, trying to prevent such a thing. But the Prince tried to sit up and was soon clasping his head, his eyes squeezed tight shut. Gimli pulled him to his chest until the dizzy spell subsided.

On lying the elf back, Gimli blocked Hérion's view of Legolas. He must have said something because Gimli nodded and Arwen called him over.

He'd been warned about Gimli's eyes, Valar, they did make him look terrifying when he was angry and even the warning glance he gave him on sitting down made his hair stand on end.

The dwarf growled dangerously, "You have ten minutes."

…

"Hérion has already been dealt with, " Faramir explained after the guards and the King had given each other reports of recent events, "I was present during his interrogation and the Queen has insisted that both he and the other elves involved sail to the West for the sake of their healing more than as their punishment. Though your intentions were good, I'm afraid the law requires you to retrain for the crest of Gondor which I will have to strip you of. Though this was a law created by Denethor, it is a law that sill stands and has actually been one of his few wiser choices. Any additional punishments will be declared by the King." The Captain stood down and left, his head hanging low. It was clear that he didn't want to punish them and they knew it too. Now they had to hear what their King had to say and as they actually valued their new ruler, they were fearful that he wouldn't approve of them.

"Gentleman," Aragorn began, his voice quiet, "I must say I am disappointed in you for breaking the law not only of this city but that of Mirkwood too. Had word gotten to King Thranduil, I wouldn't have been able to negotiate a punishment less than execution. Luckily, this incident has been contained and therefore you will live, despite committing treason."

"Look at me," the King ordered gently, smiling, "however, I must say I'm comforted to know that my guards are willing to go so far just for the sake of my wellbeing. I can assure you once you have completed your training, there will be places for you all by my side. If King Eomer allows it, I will have you trained in Rohan to add some variety to your training. Obviously, your families will be welcome to join you should you wish for them to be in your company. After returning, Captain Faramir will grade you and deem whether you are ready to be knights of Gondor once more. For now, you may return to your homes until further notice."

Aragorn couldn't help laughing at the many sighs he heard from around the room, including one from Faramir who he knew was listening outside the door.

On leaving them to go and see Legolas, he couldn't help noticing Faramir sneaking back into the room to talk to his fellow warriors, his face bright with happiness.

**I can't believe how long it's taken me to update my work on fanfiction. All I can say is I'm sorry. However I am dedicating my time to writing at least until I start University. To stop myself from falling into the same traps, I'm making sure I write 1 chapter on something per day whether that is fanfiction or fictionpress or even just a short novel in one of my notebooks so I guarantee that you will get more chapters from me from now on. **

**To the people who took the time to review what I have of this story so far:**

**Havain, Metoochocolate, Don Dorcha, Kamai6, daisymall13 and Cherry Maiden I am very sorry again for taking so long to update and I hope you like the rest of the story. **


	6. Chapter 6

When Aragorn reached Legolas' chamber he couldn't help but feel unnerved by the overwhelming silence. On opening the door that creaked far too much for his liking, he noticed how dark the room inside was. It made the room feel smaller, claustrophobic even. The only sources of light were the embers on the dying fire and a small candle by Legolas' bed.

He was asleep, and alone surprisingly, unless Gimli was hiding, which the King doubted: of all things, stealth wasn't Gimli's strongest talent.

Instead of the chair, Aragorn sat on the Prince's bed and took his hand and just watched him sleep, thinking of what he was going to say to him when he woke.

…

"You could have at least sorted out my hands in the elf's room. What if something happens to him?" Gimli huffed, twitching in his seat impatiently as Arwen bandaged his bloody knuckles. Hérion had already been dealt with, being guided from the Prince's room to the healing ward after apologising to Legolas, leaving the dwarf and the elf in peace, much to Gimli's delight.

Quite a while later, Arwen returned, saying it was Gimli's turn for his treatment. She only just succeeded in getting him to go to the healer's, having to practically drag him there herself and constantly remind him that his loud roars of protest would surely disturb his bed bound friend.

"Gimli, Legolas is on the mend. If his condition was critical I would have placed someone at his bedside," she replied reassuringly, "I think what Legolas needs after today is a long, _**quiet**_ rest."

The dwarf grunted in defeat and let her continue with her work, staying silent for a while whilst admiring his hands. They were a mess. He didn't remember feeling any pain when he was punching Hérion and yet, the stinging was quite prominent now, not to mention that his usually pale hands were a sore pink speckled with spots of blood that had seeped through his broken skin. He must have really hit the lad hard…

"How is he?" he grumbled almost inaudibly. Arwen tried not to smile at his soft side, knowing it would damage his pride. But she failed and Gimli caught her smirk, suddenly exclaiming in his defense, "I don't care about the lad I just want to know how much damage I did."

"Are you really that bloodthirsty?"

"No – I … I didn't mean it like that. Just tell me how he is."

The Queen sighed, not really sure what to think of his past words, "He'll be sore, but nothing's broken and he didn't need any stitches."

"Right."

"Are you disappointed?"

"What!" he huffed in surprise, "Lass, I'm not that dark… I suppose if you'd told me this an hour ago, I would have been a little disappointed, but now I know he's just as foolish as your husband – no offense."

She considered his words, understanding what Gimli meant by 'foolish' in relation to the two gentlemen who cared for her dearly. As to his second remark, she was quite curious: he was very quiet during Hérion's conversation with his best friend. She had been worried the dwarf wouldn't have let Hérion get a word in edgeways and yet he was surprisingly well behaved. Maybe he was willing to forgive him, or maybe he was just the same – curious.

"Do you forgive him Gimli?" she said, voicing her thoughts, "Or would you attack him again should the two of you find yourselves alone together?"

"I highly doubt such a situation will happen if what he said about sailing to the West is true," he paused for a moment, lost in thought, "As for forgiving him… I can't really say. I won't ever call him a friend Lass, even if you care for him but since he wasn't my friend before this incident, I guess he hasn't really lost anything."

"But he's lost the chance of gaining anything?"

"Aye. I'm sorry Las but I'm not as good at forgiving as Legolas – huh – that elf would probably forgive Sauron himself. He's too kindhearted and that's why I need to stick by him: one of these days he'll forgive someone who will hurt him again, and I need to be there to make sure they don't."

Arwen had finished binding his hands. She kept her eyes downcast, "It saddens me Gimli that in order to protect, you have to fight. In order to care, you have to hurt. But I accept it. You're not the only one who follows such ways and I can't say I blame you for doing so. I just wish love wasn't so complicated…"

"I know what you mean my Lady. But if love was straight forward, it wouldn't affect as many of us now would it?"

She smiled, "When did you become so wise Master Dwarf, or are you really Gandalf in disguise?"

"Pah! I'll be Gandalf when Pippin loses his appetite! You'd never hear a riddle coming from my mouth Lass I'll tell you that!"

Laughing heartily they stood, "Come Master Dwarf, we'll stop by the kitchens and get some food."

Such a temptation couldn't be refused so the pair left the ward, happy that things for their part had been resolved.


	7. Chapter 7

Aside from the one statement – **I am such an idiot** – Estel just couldn't think of what he was going to say to his brother when he woke up. In his eyes, what he had done was unforgiveable, unexplainable even. But he was too good a friend to loose, as selfish a thought it was. The duo had challenged everything throughout life side by side for too long for him to go solo now.

The candle flickered weakly one last time before finally dying, leaving him in darkness. For a while he was content in the dark before it started to make his eyes drift shut. Falling asleep before Legolas awoke would not make his situation any better.

The heat that was quick to leave his hand when he let go of the elf's hand was all too noticeable, as were the groans from said elf when he left his side. As the king scrambled through the drawers in the room for a candle, he could only listen to the dreaming patient.

…

_It was night time in Rivendell and Legolas was hiding up a large oak tree. Standing in the clearing was Lord Elrond and, judging by what he'd heard from their conversation so far, the man that is no longer King Elessar._

_It was Aragorn that was currently speaking, " – I just can't believe Legolas would do this to me. After all we've been through he'd just tear out my heart and stamp on it like this."_

_The Elven Lord spoke in a quieter tone, obviously sympathetic, "Estel, I don't know what I can do for you… Obviously, you can stay here for as long as you like, this has and always will be your home. However, I can't make Arwen love you again. Her heart has been reclaimed."_

"_I know," he sighed heavily, "I just don't understand why: Legolas could have claimed her before I was born, or even when the marriage was arranged and yet he chose only to do it after I had grown even more in love with her. I must not have truly had a brother if he truly wanted to be so cruel."_

_Despite his words, the King couldn't speak them in anger, only in pain, literally on his knees, weakened by his unrequited love. It pained Legolas to see him such. _

_The Kings eyes were closed when he whispered, "I wish to be alone father, to find peace if you will let me."_

_He only nodded, his eyes filled with dread and tears, and when Legolas saw Aragorn remove his dagger from its sheath, he understood why. _

_By the time he'd leapt desperately from the branch it was done. The Prince could only hold his brother close until his body grew cold. _

"_I never loved her Estel," he choked, clinging him to his chest, "Never, I'd never take her from you. Never. Never…"_

_Growing tired, he lay down with his friend for a while. Crying until he could cry no more. He stared blindly outward just being with his Estel, not wanting to be anywhere else. He couldn't be anywhere else: he was the cause of his friend's death, enjoying life now would only be betraying him more._

_He couldn't stay, he had to convince Estel that what he'd said was true, even if it meant following him to do it._

…

Candle in hand, Aragorn turned to head for Legolas' bedside to light it, to find Legolas up and walking around. The elf's eyes kept fluttering shut and he brushed against the many pieces of furniture clumsily. The poor thing was hiccupping and sobbing, his hands reaching out blindly for something.

The candle now light, Estel hastened to his friend and pulled him close. The Prince was shaking and, strangely, started to search him.

"Gwador?" he whispered carefully, hoping not to startle him, "gwador what's wrong?"

The Prince ignored him, his glazed eyes only stared at the wall behind the King, his hand searching, constantly searching until he found what he was looking for.

The dagger the King kept under his robe, just in case, was pulled from its hiding place and was quickly directed at his chest. Seeing this, the King quickly grabbed the Prince's hands, shocked at his actions, "Mellon nin – what are you doing?" he wrestled him urgently, "Stop this my friend - listen to me, listen to me - please – I need you please."

He pinned him to the bed, pressing his cheek against Legolas' so he could talk in Legolas' ear and keep the confused patient's head turned away from the hand holding the knife, "Legolas, I need you to try and focus for me, this is not what you want."

"Let me go, I need to get to Estel," his voice was weak, as were his thrashes, "I need to get to Estel. I need to tell him. I need to get to Estel."

Aragorn threw the knife across the room and held him tightly to his chest, "I'm right here Las. I'm not going anywhere."


	8. Chapter 8

Slowly, the elf's form started to slowly sag in Aragorn's arms which was comforting. He could now breathe much easier now that fear's tight grasp has loosened its grip on his chest. What was going through his friend's mind, the King did not know, but part of him thought it may be best not to try and find out: if Legolas didn't remember this incident when he woke, it would be cruel to make him relive whatever ordeal occurred in his dreams.

It wasn't much longer after that that his wife and dwarven friend entered the room carrying trays of food. Legolas turned his head lazily on hearing them enter, but he remained in his position against Aragorn . Taking a look at his eyes now, Estel noticed they were much more alert than before, still tired, but they were no longer glazed and unseeing. Legolas was aware of where he was and who he was with. He knew he was holding Aragorn and seemed comfortable with that which made the King feel much better.

Arwen approached them after setting her tray down on the bed and kissed Legolas' forehead caringly, "How are you feeling gwador nin?"

He didn't respond at first, feeling more comfortable just letting his gaze wander, taking everything in before smiling tiredly and saying, "I'm fine, thank you."

The dwarf snorted at this. Estel only smiled: it was Legolas' signature line, a line he would say even if he had an arrow in his chest.

Legolas then looked up at Aragorn, "Are you hungry, mellon nin?"

He was gladdened by the invitation, "Aye, famished."

…

Hérion and his group had been riding for barely an hour. Quiet murmurs buzzed throughout most of them but their leader had remained silent. Such silence was unbefitting of his character: it was his fighting spirit and passion that made the group's unspoken agreement that he had dominance in the group. They were all of the same class, the same race and yet Hérion had always been the one who made the final decisions of the group.

They feared recent events had broken his spirit, something that can make an elf very ill. But they held on to the notion that they were heading for the sea to where they can heal on the distant shores. For now, they could only give him his space and just hope that he lasts until then.

…

Explanations were passed around the group as they ate. What was to happen to Hérion, his friends and the guards of the citadel. Such news lightened Legolas' heart but judging by the look of guilt on Aragorn's face, it was the King that needed to hear something to ease his mind, "Mellon nin?"

The sudden attention startled Aragorn, but the King was glad: if he wasn't brave enough to start the talk, he was at ease knowing that if forced into it, he couldn't run away from it, "Is there something wrong Legolas?"

"Not at all my friend, in fact it is you that I am concerned for. I don't want you to hold what happened between us against yourself. From the moment you… it happened, I held no bad thoughts towards you, nor did I feel pained by your actions – emotionally."

"That's all very well but I feel like I'm being let off too easily for this. I mean – I hit you. You were already injured and I made you worse for the sake of myself."

"For the sake of your wife," Las laughed, "Look at her Aragorn. That beautiful woman over there. Look at her," he did, smirking at how Gimli was gesturing comically towards her as if presenting her to him, making Arwen blush, "You fought for her and who could blame you. She holds your very heart in her hands and is the very air you breathe. You want to live and she is your life! Gwador, I forgave you long before you even began to feel bad for what you did to me. I forgive you."

He drew the king into a hug then, giving him his _'you silly man' _laugh. Once again, Aragorn was astounded by his brother's kind heart, but it was what he cherished about him most of all.

…

Gone were the sun's golden rays for the day, the glowing moon shining in its place. The small group of elves had set up camp and were currently eating a light snack before retiring for the night. However, separated from the group was Hérion, who seemed to prefer solitude to his friends company. He was perched on the top of a large boulder protruding from the ground. His eyes brushed over the land before him, knowing he would never see such a wonderful image again: the trees silhouetted beautifully, gracefully reaching out to touch the stars, the river dancing gently in the light of the moon and the grass blowing gently in the wind, looking invitingly cool to lie on.

In the palm of his hand sat the Evenstar. He had been shocked when Arwen had placed it in his hand back in Gondor.

"I gave this to Aragorn three years ago so he would know that my heart would always go with him wherever he went. Now, we think you should be its rightful owner so you can take comfort in knowing that although our love for each other means my light won't shine for as long, it will shine at its very brightest."

He understood and would cherish such a precious gift. He knew love was the one invincible thing in this world. The one thing that survives after death, is out of the Valar's control and more importantly, can take control of others. After experiencing the latter he knew leaving was the best option. His love for Arwen would live forever in the Undying Lands, but in a healthy way that didn't blind him of the morals he was taught, of honour and dignity. It wouldn't be easy but he promised he would do the one more thing as an act of acceptance of his best friend's love.

Live.

…

"It's a beautiful night tonight, don't you think meleth?" Arwen said, leaning on the railing dazed by stunning view. But Aragorn's eyes were only enticed by her. Her long, chestnut curls that cascaded elegantly down her back, her fair skin that seemed to glow like the moon. And her eyes… oh, if only he could gaze into those eyes as dark as the midnight sky forever – he truly would be content.

How did he manage to claim an angel's heart? A man who at the time was an ungroomed, dirty ranger, or as Arwen put it a 'rugged, dark, mysterious man.'

Whatever it was he had to his advantage, he was glad of it. It meant he had something to fight for when joining the quest, he had support when life as King was just too much, he had something to live for.

All of this from one, amazing woman, who he was now holding tenderly in his arms. He remembered Legolas' words and whilst holding her in his arms everything made sense to him.

Savouring the feel of her skin as he caressed her cheek, he tilted her head towards him, her rosy lips tempting him, making her even more enticing. He gave in to them gladly – nothing says 'I love you' more than a kiss.

**Completed! I hope it's not a case of 'too little, too late' for those who started reading this when I first posted it. If that is the case - again - I'm sorry. **

**I'd only planned on making this story four chapters long - oh well - we can't leave thing out now can we. I hope you liked it!**


End file.
